Pipe tongs



I PIPE TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 6| I921.

Patented Nov, 14, 1922.

-I- ii To all whom it may concern:

Patented Nov. 14, 1922.

raters.

CHARLES AUGUSTUS BUTLER, 0F oKMULenE, OKLAHOMA.

PIPE TONGS.

Application filed April 6, 1921. Serial No. 458,909

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Okmulgee, in the county of Okmulg'ee, State manner, such as by means of a wedge-shaped key which fits in a tapered seat and is driven in back of the die so that it holds the die rigidly in one position. In this position, the sharp corner of the die is brought into contact with the outside of the pipe and when the handles of the tongs are squeezed together, thissharp corner is forced into the exterior surface of the pipe to give the tongs a rigid hold on the pipe during the working stroke of the tongs. After this stroke, it is necessary to release the grip on the tongs to bring them back for a fresh grip, and when the tongs are brought back, the die being keyed fast in the jaw of the tongs with its sharp corner in contact with the pipe, necessarily drags the sharp edge of the die over the pipe surface, which in due time wears off the sharp edge of the corner ofthe die. As soon as the corner becomes dull, the tongs slip and cannot hold the pipe during the working stroke. It is then necessary to take out the die and turn it so that the next sharp corner will act as a gripping surface, and as soon as the four corners have been dulled, the die vbecomes useless and has to be replaced by a new one.

[One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device for preventing the wearing away or dulling of the gripping surface of the die so that it is not necessary to constantly replace these expensive dies.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construction in which the idle stroke of the pipe tongs circumferentially about obvious and will in fully disclosed.

companying drawings Another object of the invention is to pro-.

vide an improved construction for mounting the dies in the jaws, which permits their ready removal andadjustment.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide a mounting for these dieswhich acts as a wear plate for contact between the tongs and the pipe section.

These and other objects will in part be part be hereinafter more Referring more particularly to Figure 1 is a perspective View of the pipe ton s in gripping position on .the pipe; ig. 2 is a sectional-view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 3-'3 of Fig.' 2, and M Fig. et' is a detail viewpartly in section of the keepers or die retaining members.

the ac- In' general, the tongs fcomprisethe usual pivoted jaws, which in the present instance are recessed to re'ceive the dies; in addition, each jaw is provided with a die clip or keeper for retaining the dies in the jaws. Each keeper has, an arcuate shaped face spaced slightly from and conforming to the inner circumference of the pipe: about which the tongs fit. The inner face of this keeper is provided with a suitable number of apertures through which project the biting portions of the dies. Thefdies which aresub stantially square-shaped and provided with four sharpened corners, fit in substantially square-shapedseats in th e'keepers. The two lateral walls of these seats are flared slightly away from a line at right angles with the back wall of the recess so that the square dies are permitted to. shift laterally in their, seats, In order thatthe inner corners of the dies will contact with the corresponding corners of the seats, the seat corners are cut away. By means of this construction, on the working stroke of the pipe tongs, the sharp corner of the die will be forced into the periphery of the pipe and will form a firm grip so that the pipe can be turned, but due to thefiared lateral walls'of the recess, on the idle stroke, the square dies can rock in their seats so that the sharp gripping corner will swing clear of the pipe to permit the tongs to move circumferentially of the pipe. The fiat side of the die adjacent the sharpened corner will then scrape circumferentially of the pipe, andin the clip in closed position.

this way keep the corner sharp and in good gripping condition.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the tongs comprise the two jaws 1 and 2 pivotedat 3 and are shown as encircling the pipe section. Each one of these jaws is suitably recessed to receive its die or dies at and is provided with a die clip for holding the dies in position on the aw. While these die recesses substantially correspond to the size and shape of the dies, they are slightly altered to permit an automatic shifting of the die, as will be presently described.

lVhile many constructions are practicable, I prefer to hold the dies in their seats or recesses by means of arcuate clips or keepers mounted on the inner face of the jaw sections. For instance, the larger jaw 3 is provided with a relatively long arcuate clip 6 formed with an intermediate wearing face or wall 7 which lies parallel to the working face of the jaw, and two integral upper and lower flanges 8 and 9, respectively. These flanges pass over the upper and lower side faces 10 and 11, respectively, of the jaw. This clip 6 is apertured as at 12 to receive a pivot pin 13 passing through registering apertures in the jaw. The opposite end of the clip is formed with hemi-spherical recesses 14 for receiving a locking pin to hold at suitable spaced intervals corresponding to the number of dies mounted in said clip, the inner wall 7 of the clip 6 is provided with an aperture or apertures 15 through which the sharpened end of the die projects. This inner wall 7 of the clip not only constitutes a wearing surface for the tongs, inasmuch as it is the portion of the jaw which comes into contact with the peripheral face of the pipe, but it also constitutes a means for retaining the dies in their seats in the jaw and permits them to automatically shift laterally as will now be described.

As a means for permitting this shifting of the dies, I prefer to provide the inner face of the jaw with recesses or die seats corresponding in size and shape to the dies, such recesses having back walls 16 and sidewalls 17 the side walls being arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the back walls. These recesses are adapted to receive the square shaped dies provided with the sharpened corners.

From this construction, it will be observed that when the tongs are gripped together, the sharp corners of the dies projecting through the apertures 15 in the clips contact with the periphery of the pipe and are forced to bite into the pipe as the tongs are moved in one direction circumferentially of the pipe. Thus the tongs will carry the pipe sections around with it during the working stroke. When the tongs are released, to

esser/e bring them back for another turn, the dies will shift in their seats by neans of the flared arrangement of the lateral walls 12 so that the biting corner 18 of each die a will swing clear oi the periphery of the pipe. At the same time, the face 19 of the die adjacent the corner 18 will drag along the periphery of the pipe and will thus maintain this corner 18 sharp.

During this rocking action, it is imperative that the inner sharpened corners of the die do not come into contact with the walls or corners of the recess. In order to talre care of this, the corners of the recess are cut away as 20. This also provides a means wnercby the dies will automatically clear themselves of scale and dirt, the scale and dirt falling through to the bottom of the dies and then through suitable apertures in the clips. inasmuch as the constructicnof the other jaw 2, its clip and die and mode of operation is identical, no further reference will be made to it.

Any desired means for retaining the clips in place may be used. In the present in after which the dies 1 can be taken out and replaced. The clips can then be swung back and the pins 22 and 23 snap into place.

it is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is I j 1. A pipe tongs comprising pivoted jaws adapted to receive a pipe therebetween, each of said aws being provided with a suitable number of die recesses having lateral walls arranged at an obtuse angle to the rear wall, a substantially square-shaped die in each recess, said dies having comparatively sharp corners for gripping the pipe, whereon movement of said tongs in one direction circumferentially of said pipe said dies will shift in their recesses to cause said dies to bite into the pipe and on reverse movement of said tongs said biting corners will shift clear of said pipe.

2. A pipe tongs comprising pivoted jaws adapted to receive a pipe therebetween, each of said jaws being provided with a suitable number of die recesses having lateral walls arranged at an obtuse angle to the rear wall, a substantially square-shaped die having relatively sharp pipe gripping corners arranged in each die recess, to permit said dies to shift in their recesses, the corners of said recesses between the rear and lateral walls being cut away to permit the adjacent corners of said dies from contactingwith the walls of said recess.

3. A pipe tongs comprising pivoted jaws adapted to receive a pipe therebetween, one of said jaws being provided with a recess, a die mounted in said recess, a keeper carried by and lining the inner wall of said jaw, said keeper being apertured to permit the gripping face of the die toproject therethrough to engage the pipe, said die and recess being constructed and arranged so that the grippingportion of the die auto matically grips said pipe on movement of said tongs in one direction circumferentially of the pipe and automatically moves said gripping portion clear of said pipe on the reverse motion of said tongs.

' 4:. A pipe tongs comprising pivoted jaws adaptedto receive a pipetherebetween, one

of said jaws being provided with a plurality of recesses a die mounted in each recess, a keeper lining the inner wall of vsaid "jaw and apertured .to permit the gripping faces of the dies to project therethrough to en-' gage the pipe, said keeper being. movably mounted on said jaw so as to permit the ready adjustment of said dies, said dies and recesses being constructed and arranged so that the gripping portion of the die automatically gr ps said pipe'on movement of i said tongs in one direction circumferentially 

